The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-18


1t is evident that if Mayor Lester remains
firm in the position he has taken relative TO
the sale of his interest in the barracks lot it
will be quite awhile before the government
can obtain clear title to that property
If an effort is made to obtain his
interest by condemning it under au-
thority obtained from Congress, as sug
gested by Representative Norwood, there
may be resistance and delay.
1t is evident that Mayor Testers motive
is good one. 1t is in no sense selfish. He
believes that if the barracks lot, which was
purchased for a hotel site, is sold to the
government, it will be many years before a
hotel will be built, and he is confident that
if that site is reserved for the purpose for
which it was purchased the city will have
both hotel and public building.
1t is not improbable that the government
would willingly cease its efforts to get the
barracks lot if it knew where another lot
could be obtained for reasonable price and
in a location that would be satisfactory not
only to itself, but to the people of this city.
1t is easy enough to say that dozen sites
suitable for post Office and court house can
be obtained, but when they are looked for
they are not so easy to find. The court
house lot would be very suitable site, but
the Governor destroyed the hope of getting
the government to accept it by his veto of
the bill authorizing the County Commits
sioners to sell it. There are other sites, but
to all which have been suggested objections
have been raised. AS long as this lack of
harmony in public sentiment relative to a
public building site exists, the government
is likely to do nothing towards getting a
site or to continue its efforts to get the bar
racks lot.
What, then, is the course to pursue?
Clearly to determine upon a site that will
be generally satisfactory, and ask the gov
eminent to purchase it, If there are suita-
BILE sites to be had, at a price which the |
government is willing to pay, committee |
of citizens can find them and make a selec- |
ton that will be approved by the public. |
Let this plan be tried 1t was tried in
Southern city few weeks ago with success. |
The government selected a site that was not |
satisfactory to great majority of the city. |
A committee of citizens was appointed to
select one. The government was petitioned
to accept the committees selection, and it |
did SO willingly. This is a government of
the majority, and the authorities at Wash
ington are always ready to obey the will of
the majority, however unimportant the
questions may be upon which the majority
speaks.
If few energetic citizens will take hold
of this matter of public building site with
a determination to stick to it until it is set
tied, and will handle it judiciously and pa
tiently, they will bring it to a satisfactory
termination. Up to this time there has
been too much talk and too little work. A
little opposition and few objections have
been sufficient to check continued effort in
the direction that effort should be made.
Encouraging progress is being made in
raising money for the hotel 1t is conf
IDENTIFY believed that the amount that is
needed can be obtained. 1t is certain that
if there were no doubt that the barracks
lot would be the hotel site subscriptions
would be easier to obtain. Let a well
directed effort be made then to have the
government consider the question of another
site, and the first movement of that effort
should be the appointment of a committee.
composed of men who have the confidence
of the community, to select a site. When
the site is selected let the government be
petitioned to accept it. There is not much
doubt that a favorable response will be re-
ceived, and within a year or two the CITY
the hotel.